North African Timeline

Carthage Empire

814 BCE

The Carthage empire ruled in present-day Tunis, Tunisia, beginning rule in 814 BC. It was vital because it grew from a small city-state into a huge empire. It was set with trade routes and large harbors; the Mediterranean Sea being its greatest example. The Carthage empire consisted of colonies not only in Africa but also in parts such as Sicily and Spain. Although this was fulfilling, it threatened Rome and other powers. The empire soon met its end in 146 BCE.

The fall of Tyre

586 BCE

This siege lasted 13 years. Tyre is located in today's Lebanon. Though Alexander the Great requested he make a sacrifice in the home of one of their Gods, people refused the request. Alexander made the siege happen and he made a bridge from the mainland to the islands around. This was for the machines and Alexander broke down the wall and took the city. This was significant because the people of the city were either killed or sold, but some went to Carthage and made the empire even bigger.

The Vandal Conquest of North Africa

439 BCE

In 439 BC, a king who goes by the name of Gaiseric robbed Carthage and he robbed the rest of the province in North Africa. Then in 429 BC, the king led some troops made up of a group of 80,000 people known as 'the Vandals', which then crossed into North Africa. This is the point at which they completely surrounded the area. They then defeated many imperial forces and they overthrew the territory. All in all, the Vandals were notorious for sacking and pillaging many countries and regions.

First Punic War

264 BCE

This was the first battle of a long war that would eventually lead to Carthage's demise. This battle lasted 23 years. Though this battle was between Rome and Carthage, the battle took place in Sicily. It was a war over control and Carthage entered when trying to settle an argument in Sicily. Rome noting the presence, then attacked. This was significant because in the end, Rome won control of Sicily and that continued the fight for being the top power and was the start of a long war.

Kingdom of Mauritania

225 BCE

The Kingdom of Mauritania is a tribal kingdom of the Berber Mauri people. This all started around 225 BC when the Sub-Saharan peoples and the Ṣanhājah Imazighen, also known as Berbers, came exploring the world and found this place. Since Baga was the leader during this time, he helped find this piece of land. He ruled at a later time during the second Punic war. Overall, the kingdom was a client that would make for a fearful adversary and a strong ally, due to its power in the Roman Empire.

Second Punic War

218 BCE

In years after the war, Rome upped the amount of money the people of Carthage owed them. It was during this war that Hamilcar Barca had leadership and he acquired a base in Spain. This part of the war lasted 17 years and took place in Spain and other countries near like France. While Rome was victorious, Carthage lost its hold on Spain. Now the Carthaginians only had a hold on North Africa. They were forced to give up their navy and had to pay money to Rome.

Kingdom of Numidia

202 BCE

Numidia was formed from a part of Carthage. They became allies with Rome and they learned new agricultural techniques from Rome. Rome and Numidia worked together until Numidia claimed a corrupt leader, so Rome captured Numidia, causing them to rebel, and Rome to conquer them. Once Rome had finally fallen to a higher power, Numidia gained control once again. Unfortunately, Numidia would fall to several others over the years and did not have freedom commonly.

Third Punic War

149 BCE

This was the final part of the war and it lasted three years. It was the final of Carthage's rule and the new start to Rome being the top power. After this, Carthage's people would be enslaved by Rome. Though it took place in Carthage, Rome had a stronghold and blocked off the supplies coming in through the Meditraian. It was significant due to this being the end of a powerful empire. It signified Rome's newfound power. Carthage's land was now Rome's land and they had even more access to trade.

Arab's Abolish Christianity

705

In 642 AD, Egypt was conquered by the Arabs, and soon they started invading the Berbers. Not too long after, in 705 AD, the region became a part of the Muslim Empire. The Muslims impacted more than those before and after, and they converted teachers to Islamic ideology, which brought the belief to everyone else. Over time, by the 11th century, the Berbers had become believers in Islamic ideology. All the major Christian groups from the past ceased to exist, which left barely anyone left.

The Spanish Occupation

711

In 711 AD, a Beber general named Tariq ibn-Ziyad led an African army from Northern Africa to cross the Strait of Gibraltar and invaded the Iberian peninsula, primarily Visigoth Spain. The conquer and rule lasted for nearly 800 years and the year it ended was 1492. The dependent emirate of the years between 711 to 756 AD is when Muslim Spain or al-Andalus had a dependence on the Umayyad caliph, hence the name of this particular event. This was important because some of the culture is still there.